To make all of you Californians and west coastians feel a bit better, we are getting your storm system, now:

WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PM CST MONDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PM CST MONDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

SNOW WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE INTO MONDAY MORNING. SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES... DURING THE EVENING THROUGH ABOUT 3 AM. ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. AREAS THAT MAY PICK UP AROUND 8 INCHES WOULD BE FROM AROUND FAIRMONT AND NEW ULM...TO FARIBAULT AND WASECA...TO THE SOUTHERN TWIN CITIES...TO EAU CLAIRE AND NEW RICHMOND.

EXPECT NORTH WINDS TO INCREASE INTO THE 15 TO 20 MPH WHICH COULD CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING IN OPEN COUNTRY.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET... AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

I was also on Prednisone, but never for more than two weeks at a time.

Mom took Prednisone a long time ago, but not for years now. She has all kinds of weird issues from the lupus -- her pancreas doesn't work quite right anymore, and a lot of her systemic involvement is GI, so she takes a small dose of erithmycin (again sp?) every day to jumpstart her stomach. Fun.

Prednisone is a nasty, nasty drug, but it does the job for some things. my FiL has to take it now, but he's 81, so long-term side effects are not quite so pressing.

Also, I just managed to draw blood with quinoa. I had no idea that was even possible.

Hil, you and Ginger should collaborate on a book of essays on creative ways to injure yourself. Cindy could contribute a guest essay on How To Run Yourself Over.

See, I'm perfectly clear on the "Don't walk barefoot in the kitchen if you've just broken glass" rule. I was less aware of the "Don't walk barefoot in the kitchen if you've just spilled quinoa" rule.

My little niece who is being treated for juvenile arthritis is on Prednisone for six months. There's a 50% chance she'll go into remission after that, and I guess a 50% chance that she won't. I hate to see her on it for so long (she's only 4), but she was fading away, prior to the hospitalization and treatment. They pumped her full of steriods for the 8 days she was an inpatient. Now she's just taking a maintenance dose. I used to have to give it to Julia and Chris for their RSV-related bronchiolitis, but just little doses, and usually not for a week at a time.

Lupus is a form of or relative to arthritis, isn't it?

Cindy could contribute a guest essay on How To Run Yourself Over.

I could contribute a guest essay on getting knocked up AND run over.

Actually, I've seen people turn old card catalogs into wine racks -- just take the drawers out completely, and voila! A wine bottle fits perfectly! I so totally want one, but I have no place to put it.

I'd forgotten how potent Buffista enabling is...

Then I'd have to get more wine. Hmmmmmmmm...

Sadly, the wacky worsening weather has caused the cancellation of Monday's MLK Day activities. It's wise, I think, but nonetheless sadmaking.

What makes me sad about the lack of card catalogs is how much you miss. When you slip one of those narrow drawers out and flip through the cards in search of one book, you're introduced to a hundred others.

Indeed. So many happy times at the library, browsing.

Lupus is a form of or relative to arthritis, isn't it?

They're both autoimmune issues.

Lupus is a form of or relative to arthritis, isn't it?

Yep, all part of the autoimmune disease family. (I was briefly misdiagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis before my bloodwork came back and spelled out LUPUS in big flashing neon double-stranded DNA.)

and a lot of her systemic involvement is GI

Oof, that's no fun at all. I'm lucky in that my symptoms were always purely joint-related.